020 HEARTS

The residents in the South Bronx, alarmed at the rapid rate of development sparked by the recent real estate speculation in their neighborhood have banded together to form the Mott Haven/Port Morris Community land trust. The land trust is a means to ensure that community gardens, parks and other non-profit spaces continue to thrive in this largely low and median income neighborhood within the South Bronx. The trust has identified the importance of physical space to sustain the numerous grassroots organizations that have an impressive track record of progressive social reform. They are committed to keeping existing city owned properties and as much land as possible – public in perpetuity. Their pilot project will be the re-purposing of a city owned, abandoned health center into a community owned and operated space with offices, meeting areas, culinary arts kitchen, performance halls and classrooms for educational Programming.